Palm Springs city councilmember calls for hiatus of Human Rights Commission amidst concerns

Palm Springs City Councilmember Christy Holstege is calling for a hiatus of the city’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) amid concerns over potential Brown Act violations and a lack of clarity surrounding the commission’s role and responsibilities.

During the council’s May 23 meeting, Holstege expressed concerns about the commission, citing recent reports by The Post suggesting possible Brown Act violations by commissioners. She also highlighted the need for the commission to receive guidance from city staff regarding its scope and jurisdiction.

“I remain extremely concerned that we have commissioners who potentially have violated the Brown Act and also might just need some help from staff about their role, their scope, their jurisdiction, and the work to do,” Holstege said.

At issue for Holstege and others is a Feb. 13 story by The Post detailing what happened behind closed doors when some members of the HRC elected to rescind a Community Service Award that the entire commission had earlier approved awarding.Following the report, the HRC agreed to reevaluate how it hands out awards and disband its executive committee.

During the council’s May 23 meeting, Holstege, who previously served on the HRC, said she believes there could be a mismatch between the commission’s current activities and its intended purpose.

“I just think that there’s a lot more work to do to understand the role of the Human Rights Commission,” Holstege said. “I’ve said publicly many times, I ran for council because I was serving on the Human Rights Commission, and it was impossible or very difficult to get any work done because of the lack of clarity around the role for the commission.”

To address these concerns, Holstege requested a hiatus of the commission until a joint session between the HRC and the City Council can be held to provide policy direction. She also asked for a staff recommendation on updating the commission’s role and scope, suggesting a potential rebranding as a social justice commission or incorporating it into other task forces.

The council agreed to move forward with Holstege’s proposal, tasking city staff with providing recommendations for rethinking and rebranding the Human Rights Commission, as well as setting its scope, role, and responsibilities. Once these changes are considered and implemented, the commission will be able to restart its work with a clearer understanding of its purpose and alignment with the council’s priorities.

City Manager Scott Stiles said that staff can bring back recommendations for the first meeting in June. 

“Obviously, we need to get guidance from the council member on the role,” Stiles said. “The commissions themselves, they’re advisors to the city council. And so your input is going to be critically important to us, but we will work on, and we are working on those roles and responsibilities that you had brought forward earlier.”

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